Winter can be tough in Maine.  It’s cold, it’s snowy, it’s dark and all of it together can make life hard if you let it get to you.  But there’s also something wonderful about winters on the A.T. lands of Maine where just making it through can be much more meaningful than doing the same thing in the summer.

This has been the pattern so far our the Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust’s winter hikes so far in 2019.  Unbroken trail, super cold conditions, illness, fatigue, freezing extremities – they’ve all played a role in our trips.  West Baldpate via the Appalachian Trail was similar – half the group made it to the summit, half the group did not.  Once again, the temperature was 1 degree above zero when we set out.  The wind chill was relatively low, however, the trail was broken out so conditions were pretty good.  The group as a whole made pretty good time, but was spread out along the trail.  It’s pretty steep in the upper sections of the A.T. and the conditions took their tool.  Cold toes.  Bad knees.  Fatigue.  Four made it to the top and collected the others on the way down.  No regrets.

And just look at the scenery!

Our next hike will be Sunday, January 27th to Eddy Pond and Piazza Rock.  Sign up here!  

The Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust is pleased to announce that the organization is the recipient of a Maine Community Foundation Fund for Maine Land Conservation grant for 2019!  The SCALE UP program aims to engage MATLT’s corporate members by directly connecting these companies and their employees, officers and partners to the A.T. landscape in Maine.  We’ve had great success with the program so far, in its first year, and we’re hoping to continue it beyond 2019!

The Maine Community Foundation, now in its 35th year, works with donors and other partners to improve the quality of life for all Maine people. The community foundation is committed to serve all of Maine; demonstrate respect for people and places; achieve quality and integrity in everything we do; and remain nonpartisan. MaineCF is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion, and ensuring Maine is a safe, welcoming, and accepting place for everyone.  The Fund for Maine Land Conservation supports projects that advance land conservation.

The Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust is pleased to announce that we have received a grant of $14,000 from the Fields Pond Foundation for our work on the Bald Mountain Pond project!  The project is on track to be completed in the spring of 2019; the Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust is working with The Trust for Public Land and Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife on finalizing the details.

The primary mission of Fields Pond Foundation is to provide financial assistance to nature and land conservation organizations that are community-based and that serve to increase environmental awareness by involving local residents in conservation issues.

The Foundation’s emphasis stems from its founding Directors’ beliefs that the conservation of special places in our environment, and providing public accessibility to those conservation areas, is a desirable end in itself; but it is also a means of building public support for future land and river conservation by increasing the direct connection between individuals and their environment, and fostering active participation in the work of conservation.

Thank you to the Fields Pond Foundation for this support!  Grants like this are vital to conservation organizations and ensure that we can protect special places along the Appalachian Trail in Maine – for public benefit!

The Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust is pleased to announce that plans are in the works to update and revised the groundbreaking ecological report on Maine’s High Peaks which was first issued in 2007.  The report has guided conservation efforts along Maine’s Appalachian Trail for over a decade and with recent and upcoming land protection projects, the time has come to evaluate the status of the Appalachian Trail landscape in Maine.  Old threats have waned but new threats have emerged to threaten the integrity of the A.T.  Outdoor recreation and the economic impact it can have, along with climate change mitigation, destination development and health/wellness issue have all emerged since the initial publication of the report.

We will have further updates on when the study will be re-released!  Stay tuned.

By Mark Cheever

Hiking up any one of Maine’s most prominent mountains during peak foliage is a sight to behold – but especially true on Mt. Abraham! Our group tackled the 9-mile roundtrip hike this past Saturday and were treated to a brilliant display of reds, yellows, oranges and greens.

After carpooling from Portland, our group convened at the Orange Cat in Kingfield for some breakfast snacks and coffee – discussing different aspects of outdoor recreation and the tourism economy while we fueled up. Then it was off to the trailhead down West Kingfield Road to Rapid Stream Road. The roads were in good shape and passable even for cars with less than average ground clearance. At the trailhead, about half the group applied all-natural tick repellent Tick Me Off Maine, a MATLT Community Partner who has generously donated product and proceeds to support our mission and hikes! (little known fact: ticks can thrive well into the fall, using fallen leaves as insulation)

After a quick briefing the group headed off, enjoying the winding trail and basking in the golden colors of the fall. At these lower elevations a prominent of ash, birches and elm produced vivid yellow colors in addition to the brilliant red and scarlet of maples, various oaks and sumac. We hopped across several streams, careful to keep our boots dry. The Mt. Abraham trail was in great condition, thanks in part to MATC trail maintainer Ryan Linn who we ran into on the hike, preparing for the coming spring melt by ensuring water bars were clear and properly functioning.

After two and a half hours we reached treeline to take in the magnificent landscape and its views. The demarcation line of evergreens versus deciduous species was clearly evident. A short while later after rock-hopping across the scree slopes of Abraham we reached the windy summit. Off in the distance the group marveled at various snowbursts across Maine’s High Peaks and recharged with various snacks, including Maine-based Redd bars donated for the group (ed note: the salted caramel really hit the spot, thanks Redd!). MATLT Executive Director Simon Rucker gave a brief history of the area, including pointing out various current and future projects. He noted the old fire warden’s tower, which had been repurposed into a makeshift shelter that had recently been dismantled by Maine Youth Trail Stewardship Coalition (thanks guys!). The remains will have to be airlifted out at some point.

As the chill began to set in we set off down the mountain, enjoying the views all the way down. It was a quick, technical descent by some very capable hikers! On the way there were short bursts of snow & sleet. After reaching the trailhead it was decided that tacos were on the minds of this very hungry hiking crew so we celebrated another successful summit at Uno Mas in Farmington. Another great hike in Maine’s glorious High Peaks!

The Maine A.T. Land Trust will be posting our winter hike schedule soon – be sure to check back in for updates and sign up for our next adventure!

Beautiful fall day – check.  Nicely-maintained trail – check.  Good group focused on being out in both – check.  We had it all on the latest Maine A.T. Land Trust hike up Little Bigelow, the little robust mountain just to the east of the larger peaks (West, Avery and The Horns).  The summit is only 3,060 feet, the approach is over open but gradual ledges that provide great views of Flagstaff Lake and the eastern mountains along the A.T. towards the 100 Mile Wilderness.

The route starts out at the very southeastern tip of Flagstaff Lake, where the A.T. exits the Bigelow Range and heads over to the Carry Ponds.  We headed west (southbound on the A.T.) and very soon encountered the first of MANY northbound A.T. through hikers.  The trail winds through a mixed hardwood – spruce/fir forest and the leaves were popping with color.  The trail does not ascend very steeply until reaching the ledges, but at that point the views more than compensate for the elevation gain.  The sun peeked out from behind the clouds once in a while.

About two-thirds of the way up, we had our first and only view of the summit of Little Bigelow.  It looks far away at that point but we made it to the summit only twenty minutes later.

On top, we joined an already large group of day hikers that only grew as the day went on.  In the valley below the Bigelows there were yellows, reds, oranges and everything in between on the peak foliage.  The summits ringing the view – Sugarloaf, Spaulding, the Crockers, Redington, and the Bigelows – were dark with conifers.  It was cold, but worth it!

The Maine A.T. Land Trust will be posting our winter hike schedule soon!  Little Bigelow might be on that list…check back soon.

By Savannah Steele

On September 29th the Maine Youth Trail Stewardship Coalition (MYTaSC) hosted a productive fall trail work day.  28 people (and a dog) from across the state came together to do some much needed trail maintenance on Mt. Abraham’s summit – the second largest alpine zone in Maine!  Mt. Abraham towers above the historic AT Community of Kingfield. The trail stewards packed out bags of trash, much of it roofing material from the old fallen fire tower.  Additionally, the stewards got to reconstruct stone cairns that guide hikers where the trail surface is harder to identify. Cairns minimize impact on the
sensitive alpine ecosystem by concentrating hikers to one path and keeping boots from damaging high elevation trees, shrubs, lichens, and moss.

Although cairns are cool and fun to build, stewards learned that they should only be constructed where they will help trail users navigate and generally under the trail manager’s discretion. Building cairns on beaches or at waterfalls, for example, takes away from the experience we look for when visiting such pristine natural places.

Special thanks to the MYTaSC leaders who organized the event: Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Maine Appalachian Trail Club, Maine Conservation Corps, Mahoosuc Pathways, Maine Huts & Trails, and Unity College. Also special thanks to Kingfield’s Mountain Village Farm Bed & Breakfast for letting the youth and leaders camp in the field the night before! Be on the lookout for MYTaSC’s Spring Skills Summit
2019 where trail leaders teach valuable techniques for building and maintaining recreational trails.

Savannah is the Trails Manager for Maine Huts & Trails and a great friend of the Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust!